Hellobee Boards

If you are in the US, your insurance should cover a pump. It was helpful to pump in the very early days when I had to supplement because baby lost 10% of his birthweight.

It was nice to have a manual pump on hand for when he started sleeping longer and I was engorged. The manual pump worked well for me when needed in the beginning if I was out and first thing in the morning to build a stash and when I traveled. Also, a few bottles and nipples just in case (either for pumped or formula). I never used formula, but I felt safer having some on hand.

In addition to nursing pads, I think some kind of nipple cream (lanolin etc) is a must have. And either a nursing pillow or extra normal pillows (i think i needed 4 normal pillows in the beginning to get him situated and me comfy)

Lanolin, disposable nipple pads (I really like the Johnson & Johnson ones), a couple of nursing bras. I bought the Ameda Purely Yours Double Electric pump which I really appreciated having. Also, I hear Playtex Nursers are the best bottles for breastfed babies.

If there is a reason that you need a pump in the first few weeks, you're going to want a hospital grade pump (like a Medea symphony) I would look into the availability of pumps in the maternity ward and what the rental availability is from your hospital or a local LC practice . If your insurance doesn't cover rentals, you might be able to use your FSA to cover it. Once Breastfeeding is established, having a personal pump (this like a Medea freestyle, ameda purely yours that you buy from Target/Amazon for a few hundred bucks) available is great and hand pumps are also really useful--some electric pump kits come with a manual pump/manual pump conversion pieces. Insurance will cover those. Be aware though that there's some anecdotal evidence out there that the "insurance grade" pumps (Some insurance plans make a limited selection of pumps available to plan members through a specific vendors versus just letting you go to Target and reimburse you for something off the shelf) get are not of the same quality as non-insurance. Suction may not be a good, stuff like that.

What I would really do in advance is get a recommendation for a well-regarded lactation consultant (make sure thy have the IBCLC credential) and plan to call and make an appointment during your first week home. Even if everything seems good, Breastfeeding is a dynamic relationship and establishing that connection with a professional LC early on can make it easier to get the support you need as your baby grows and changes and your Breastfeeding relationship develops and changes. Good luck!

The only things I needed in the beginning were nursing bras/tanks and a nursing pillow (made getting him set so easy). I did have to pump in the beginning due to engorgement when my milk came in. The breasts were so full that he was unable to latch. I WOH so i had an electric pump, but a manual could work, and used it each morning for the first week.

@cait: I'm only 8-weeks into mommy hood, but I'm EBF so thought I'd weigh in! Insurance gave me a pump, and I used the hospital-grade one for the first two weeks as my son was in the NICU for a few days and I needed to get my supply up to bring him home (jaundice). I bought glass bottles before he was born intending to use them, and I honestly don't like them very much. My son hates the nipples they came with, and they don't attach to the pump well. He also has reflux, so I recently went out and bought some Dr. Brown's bottles which have been great...I only wish I hadn't wasted money on the glass ones! I guess if I were to do it over again I'd just use the bottles that came with the pump initially and then try a few different other ones to find his preference rather than buying a bunch of one brand. Good luck with BFing!

FSA covers almost anything breastfeeding related if you have one. I order everything from Drugstore.com and it makes it super easy.

Nursing tanks for sure. I really like Lansinoh disposable nursing pads the best of all I've tried. Lansinoh lanolin cream worked better than Earth Angel Mama Baby cream in my opinion. I really appreciated My Breast Friend in the beginning, in addition to our recliner with a side table that became our nursing station. Keep water, lip balm, lanolin, and towels handy!

My milk didn't come in for 6 days and DS was in NICU for jaundice. My hospital gave me a hospital grade rental for 1 month, and then I switched to my Medela Freestyle, which I really like because its small and portable. We ended up mostly pumping at 6 weeks because my son was/is a sleepy nurser and could not get a full feeding ever, so a pump is necessary for me. My supply was slow to come in too, so I was pumping in addition to nursing all the time.

If you get an electric pump, definitely get a pumping bra. I don't like the Medela ones - the zipper is crappy - but have heard that the Simple Wishes one is best. I already have a bunch of Medela ones so I'm just using them right now.

I really like my Avent manual pump. Works well and simple to use.

We have gone through 4 kinds of bottles - each had their merits and uses - but we've stayed with Dr. Brown's the longest. I would say buy ONE bottle of each you are curious about and try them out. I initially wanted to use the Avent Naturals, which are great, but the slowest nipple was too fast for my son so then we used Nuk for a few weeks because those were REALLY slow, but my son developed reflux and was colicky so we switched to Dr. Brown's. We tried to throw in the Playtex nursers for travel since we could throw away the liners but DS did not like them.

I would keep one box of formula nursettes in the house (they are the 2 ounce little ready to feed bottles) in case you need to supplement, or as your hospital for some. If you sign up with Similac Strong Moms they will send you a ton of coupons and samples too before your baby is born. I imagine Enfamil does the same.

Pump I wish I would have taken with me to the hospital. I got my milk in there and ended up staying with my dad and step mom first week pp. I was in so much pain from being engorged. It was awful. I highly recommend a pump for when your milk comes in. Even if it's a manual for the time being. Some hospitals can provide you with a manual pump. You will need breast pads until your supply is regular and you no longer leak. (Forgot breast pads and shopped in Walmart once. So embarrassing). Storage containers are a must. I preferred baggies. I could freeze them flat and "file" them sort of speak. In the early days it is suggested to mainly just nurse the baby when hungry, no bottles. If you go by that the only bottle you need is the milk catching one that comes with the pump. A lot of people swear by lanolin. I hated that stuff. More of a hassle for me. Gotta squeeze it on your finger, rub between fingers until soft, apply to nipple, get your bra greasy, then it's suggested to wipe it off before nursing again. Pain in the butt in my opinion. Nursing cover if you feel uncomfortable NIP. I used one at first but got rid of it later. I used a two shirt method instead. Good luck!

Honestly, boobs. The rest is kind of extra. A pump you can pick up if you need it, if not, it's kind of a lot to just have sitting. Tanks and bras you'll need, but it's really hard to know what size you'll be when your milk comes in. Bottles are good if you plan to use them, but you don't need them right at the start. Boobs, mostly.

I think the only thing you need ahead of time is a good book about BF so that you know what to expect. With my first I did need a pump pretty soon after he was born for various reasons I didn't expect, but a family member went out to target and got me one and that was that. The second time around I already knew I wanted a good pillow so I got a brestfriend but you can certainly use any regular pillow until you figure out what you want/need.

@cait: I EBF and pump once a day since LO was born. I think it's nice to have a freezer stash.

oh, and I was a WAHM

@cait: I Ff my first and EBF my second. I WAHM too.

We stocked up on bottles because I planned to pump, and then I didn't. It was too hard for me to juggle pumping, working, BFing, and the kids. And, my kid flat out hates bottles, so there's that. In hind sight, I wish we would have saved money (and counter space) by not getting bottles until after she was here & I had established BFing, and seen which route we'd actually take. Or, not bought 12 bottles. 1 would have sufficed!

I had a rocky BF relationship with my first child, so I didn't want to invest a ton of money into BFing supplies and not be able to again.

I bought two nursing tanks from Target (bravado brand), a small box of nursing pads (lansinoh) and nipple cream (lansinoh).

Once BFing was established, I bought more nursing tops and pads.

The only other thing that was must have, regardless of feeding method, was my boppy.

Like most things, it depends if you need a pump and bottles immediately or not. If you are able to successfully EBF (and you don't have supply issues or need to supplement with formula), then you won't need bottles or a pump for a little while.

I highly suggest getting a pump early on (as other have said, your insurance will likely cover it), so you can pump to build up a little bit of a freezer stash (so you can be away from LO from time to time). If you bring it to the hospital, the lactation consultant at the hospital can show you how to use it.

I'm a WAHM too, but because I'm constantly on conference calls, its easier for me to pump during the day and have our nanny give LO a bottle than to reorganize my schedule around LO's ever changing feeding times. I've also had a few business trips, so its been necessary for me to have a large stash.

You've already gotten excellent advice here. Here's a couple more random things -

Stock up on some cute cardigans. With my EBF baby, those first few months I lived in leggings or yoga pants, Target nursing tanks, and cardigans (especially the long kind - Old Navy has some good ones!). It was comfy but I could throw on a scarf and feel sort of put together if I needed to run out of the house or if someone was coming over.

And get a good water bottle! I got SO thirsty when I was nursing.